There is plenty Brian Stahovich can be doing on the sidelines during games. San Diego State’s punter could balance his checkbook in his head or think of witty messages to send to his 641 Facebook friends. Thumb-twiddling never goes out of style.

But he’s not doing any of those things. He’s staying vigilant, standing at the ready, only to watch SDSU’s offense convert first down after first down — 20.5 per game to be exact.

“There are times when I’ll get up and be ready to go and the offense will just keep on driving,” Stahovich said. “It’s a lot of waiting around with these guys and trying to stay warm. But they are doing really well and they are getting us wins so I’m happy with that.”

San Diego State head coach Brady Hoke has often referred to Stahovich as one of his team’s most valuable weapons. In the ongoing battle for field position, Stahovich has the leg and precision to give the Aztecs an important advantage.

With the exception of a waterlogged offensive stalemate at Missouri, where Stahovich matched a career high with 10 punts, the junior has been called upon just eight times in SDSU’s three other games — not surprisingly, all wins.

“It’s a lot different than it was my freshman year and last year where it was three-and-out, three-and-out,” he said. “The offense is doing fantastic. I stand on my dot, then they get a first down, and I stand on the sidelines some more.”

When he is called upon, Stahovich has been brilliant per usual. He ranks fifth in the nation in punting heading into Saturday’s Mountain West Conference opener against BYU in Provo, Utah, averaging 47.39 yards per punt. That’s tops in the conference (among punters with the NCAA minimum of 3.6 punts per game), and probably why he was tabbed as the preseason all-conference punter.

“What he does gives us such an advantage,” Hoke said. “You get a guy who can drive the ball like that, it can really change the face of the game.”

In the 18 times Stahovich has punted this season, SDSU’s average field position was its own 30. When Stahovich was done, the opponents’ average starting field position was its own 28. That, combined with SDSU’s punt coverage team allowing just nine yards per return, has given special teams coach Dan Ferrigno a reason to smile.

“There are some aspects in the special teams we need to get better at, but our punter has been great,” Ferrigno said. “That and our kickoffs have been a real plus.”

That would be junior college transfer Abel Perez handling kickoffs. He has 11 touchbacks — nine more than SDSU had all of last year.

“There isn’t really a competition between us,” Stahovich explained. “I just told him in the beginning of the year that I want to have the best punt team in the nation and he should strive to have the best kickoff team in the nation.”

In the Hoke army, specialists aren’t treated special. They do all the off-season lifting and conditioning just like the linebackers, linemen and everyone else on the team.